EP0687039B1 - Elektrische Verbinderanordnung mit einen Schalter - Google Patents

Elektrische Verbinderanordnung mit einen Schalter Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0687039B1
EP0687039B1 EP95107968A EP95107968A EP0687039B1 EP 0687039 B1 EP0687039 B1 EP 0687039B1 EP 95107968 A EP95107968 A EP 95107968A EP 95107968 A EP95107968 A EP 95107968A EP 0687039 B1 EP0687039 B1 EP 0687039B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
switch
connector
terminals
actuator
housing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95107968A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0687039A3 (de
EP0687039A2 (de
Inventor
Rupert J. Fry
Gary E. Polgar
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Molex LLC
Original Assignee
Molex LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Molex LLC filed Critical Molex LLC
Publication of EP0687039A2 publication Critical patent/EP0687039A2/de
Publication of EP0687039A3 publication Critical patent/EP0687039A3/xx
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0687039B1 publication Critical patent/EP0687039B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/66—Structural association with built-in electrical component
    • H01R13/70—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/66—Structural association with built-in electrical component
    • H01R13/70—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch
    • H01R13/703—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. dual-continuity coupling part
    • H01R13/7035—Structural association with built-in electrical component with built-in switch operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. dual-continuity coupling part comprising a separated limit switch

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a connector assembly with a switch according to the preamble of claim 1.
  • a connector assembly of said kind is disclosed in US-A-5,095,182.
  • One of the terminals of the second connector is used as an acutating means for depressing the switch actuator which is arranged behind the cavity for accomodating the terminals of the first connector. Therefore, the switch only can be actuated after completion of making the first and the second connectors. Actuating the switch actuator automatically when the first and second connectors are partially mated, is not possible.
  • switches are used in jack connectors, such as is shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,075,518 to Matsumoto, dated December 24, 1991.
  • This patent shows a jack with a switch, in which a plug is inserted into the jack to displace a separator which, in turn, displaces a movable contact of the switch.
  • the present invention has a wide range of applications, but there is a need in the prior art to provide a safety mechanism which would prevent a motor from being operated when the battery for the motor, still being electrically coupled to the motor, is being charged.
  • the present invention satisfies that need and also provides such a simple system that conventional or standard switches can be used or switches of a customer's specification.
  • An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved connector assembly for use in conjunction with a switch, such that the switch is automatically actuated in response to the partial mating of the connector assembly.
  • the invention is defined in claim 1.
  • the connector assembly is used in conjunction with a switch that includes a housing and a switch actuator.
  • the connector assembly includes a first connector including a dielectric housing having terminals mounted therein.
  • the first connector housing has mounting means for mounting the switch therein.
  • a second connector includes a dielectric housing having terminals adapted for interengagement with the terminals of the first connector. Actuating means are provided on the second housing for engaging and actuating the switch actuator automatically when the connectors are partially mated.
  • the mounting means include means for slidably receiving the switch housing onto the housing of the first connector. Snap-latch means are provided for holding the switch in proper position.
  • the housing further defines a cavity substantially enclosing the switch actuator. The cavity is adapted to receive the actuating means of the second connector upon mating of the connectors.
  • the housing of the first connector comprises a one-piece unitarily molded structure
  • the housing of the second connector, with the actuating means thereon also comprises a one-piece unitarily molded structure.
  • the first connector is in the form of a male connector
  • the second connector is in the form of a female connector.
  • the terminals of the first and second connectors comprise plug and receptacle type terminals.
  • the mounting means on the first connector is adapted to mount the switch such that the switch actuator is in a given position, and the terminal means are mounted at given relative positions on the respective connector housings, such that the actuating means engages and actuates the switch actuator prior to interengagement of the terminals.
  • the invention is incorporated in a connector assembly, generally designated 10, for use in conjunction with a switch, generally designated 12 and shown in phantom.
  • the switch includes a housing 14 with terminals 16 projecting from the bottom thereof, and with a rocker-arm type switch actuator 18 (Fig. 2) pivotally mounted on the switch for movement in the direction of double-headed arrow "A".
  • connector assembly 10 includes a first or female connector, generally designated 20, and a second or male connector, generally designated 22.
  • Female connector 20 has a one-piece unitarily molded housing 24, and male connector 22 has a one-piece unitarily molded housing 26.
  • the housings are molded of dielectric material, such as plastic or the like.
  • Female connector 20 terminates a pair of electrical wires or cables 28, and male connector 22 terminates a pair of electrical wires or cables 30.
  • the respective electrical wires or cables are terminated to terminal means within the respective connectors, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
  • Housing 24 of female connector 20 defines a cavity, indicated generally at 32 for receiving the male connector.
  • connector assembly 10 is designed for automatically actuating switch 12 in response to mating of female and male connectors 20 and 22, respectively.
  • the female connector housing 24 is mounted in an aperture 21 in a panel 23 shown in Figure 3.
  • the forwardly extending flexible locking arms 25 flex inwardly as the female connector housing 24 is inserted into the panel aperture 21.
  • the locating finger 27 of housing 24 will hold the housing 24 by preventing it from continuing through the aperture 21 and the locking arms 25 will snap behind the opposite panel surface preventing the female connector housing 24 from backing out of the aperture.
  • mounting means are provided on housing 24 of female connector 22 for slidably receiving switch 12 in the direction of arrow "B" (Fig. 3) such that switch actuator 18 is properly located within cavity 32 of the connector housing.
  • opposite side walls of housing 24 are provided with interior grooves 34 which form sliding rails for receiving outwardly projecting flanges 36 at opposite sides of the switch housing.
  • the switch is assembled to female connector 22 by positioning flanges 36 of the switch housing into grooves 34 of the connector housing.
  • the bottom of the connector housing is open, as can be seen best at 38 in Figure 1, whereby the switch projects out of the bottom of the connector housing, while switch actuator 18 projects upwardly into interior cavity 32 of the connector housing.
  • a detent tab 40 projects upwardly within each groove 34, and a downwardly facing detent notch 42 (Fig. 3) is formed in the bottom of each flange 36.
  • the detect tabs and detent notches form a snap-latch means for holding the switch in proper position within the connector housing.
  • this snap-latch action can be "felt" by a person assembling the switch into the connector.
  • the trailing end 37 of flange 36 also helps to hold the switch in proper position since when the female connector housing 24 is mounted to the panel 23, the trailing end 37 will abut one surface of panel 23.
  • Male connector 22 include a pair of plug portions 44 which house the terminals of the connector, as will be described hereinafter.
  • the plugs project forwardly of housing 26 as seen in Figures 1 and 2.
  • the male connector also includes an actuating means in the form of a sizable actuating plug 46 molded integrally with and projecting forwardly of housing 26.
  • actuating plug 46 enters cavity 32 and is effective for engaging and actuating switch actuator 18.
  • the switch is actuated automatically in response to mating of connectors 20 and 22 of connector assembly 10.
  • actuating plug 46 of male connector 22 actually has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined actuating lip 48 that engages switch actuator 18.
  • the actuating lip is inclined at an angle matching the angle of the top surface of the switch actuator when the actuator is in its initial position.
  • switch actuator 18 has not been moved to any extent; and terminal plugs 44 of male connector 22 have yet to be inserted into any operative portion of female connector 20.
  • male connector 22 has been inserted from the position shown in Figure 2, in the direction of arrow "C", to the partially inserted position of Figure 4.
  • Figure 5 shows male connector 22, particularly actuating plug 46 and actuating lip 48, inserted further into cavity 32 to an extent that switch actuator 18 has begun to be pivotally moved in the direction of arrows "D".
  • Figure 6 shows the relative positions of connectors 20 and 22 wherein actuating plug 46, and particularly actuating lip 48, has pivoted switch actuator 18 in the direction of arrow "E" to its fully actuated position.
  • the mode of switch 12 now has been changed completely by the mating of the connectors to the extent shown in Figure 6.
  • the preferred embodiment of the invention is designed such that switch 12 is mounted at a given position within female connector 20 whereby the switch will be actuated before the respective terminal means of the connectors are interengaged. More particularly, referring to Figure 6, it can be seen that plug-type terminals 50 are terminated to electrical wires or cables 28 within female connector 20, and receptacle terminals 52 are terminated to wires or cables 30 within male connector 22. However, it should be noted that, in the relative positions of the connectors in Figure 6, the respective terminals have not been interengaged, notwithstanding the fact that switch 12 has been fully actuated as described above.
  • connector assembly 10 and switch 12 can be used in an exemplary application to prevent a motor from being operated when a battery for the motor, still electrically coupled to the motor, is being charged. Therefore, it would be desirable to completely disable the motor before the charger is electrically energized.
  • switch 12 can be electrically coupled to the motor, with actuation of the switch disabling the motor, prior to energizing the charger by interengaging terminals 50 and 52.
  • rocker-arm type switch actuator 18 As in the position of Figure 6 (but moving in the direction opposite the insertion direction "C") and turn the switch back to its original mode after the unmating of the connectors.
  • the rocker-arm type switch actuator often is spring-loaded to hold the switch actuator in its initial position of Figure 4 until being actuated by engagement of lip 48 therewith.

Landscapes

  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)

Claims (7)

  1. Verbinderanordnung (10) mit einem Schalter (12), die ein Schaltergehäuse (14) und einen Schalterbetätiger (18) derart umfaßt, daß der Schalter automatisch unter Ansprechen auf das Befestigen der Verbinderanordnung betätigt wird, mit folgenden Merkmalen:
    ein erster Verbinder (20) umfaßt ein dielektrisches Gehäuse (24) mit darin angebrachten Anschlüssen (50), wobei das erste Verbindergehäuse (24) Befestigungseinrichtungen (34) umfaßt, um daran den Schalter (12) verschiebbar zu halten und
    ein zweiter Verbinder (22) umfaßt ein dielektrisches Gehäuse (26) mit darin angebrachten Anschlüssen (52), die mit den Anschlüssen (50) des ersten Verbinders (20) in Eingriff bringbar sind und umfaßt eine Betätigungseinrichtung (46,48) an dem zweiten Verbindergehäuse (26) zum Ergreifen und automatischen Betätigen des Schalterbetätigers (18), wenn der erste und zweite Verbinder (20,22) zusammengefügt sind,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet,
    daß die Betätigungseinrichtungen (46, 48) von den Anschlüssen (52) des zweiten Verbinders (22) getrennt sind,
    daß die Befestigungseinrichtungen (34) Einrasteinrichtungen (40,42) zum Halten des Schalters (12) in der richtigen Stellung an dem ersten Verbindergehäuse (24) umfassen,
    daß das erste Verbindergehäuse (24) eine Kammer (32) umfaßt, die im wesentlichen den Schalterbetätiger (18) umgibt, wobei die Kammer ausgelegt ist, die Betätigungseinrichtung (46,48) des zweiten Verbinders (22) beim Zusammenfügen des ersten und zweiten Verbinders aufzunehmen,
    daß der Schalterbetätiger (18) erste und zweite Kontaktoberflächen besitzt, die an einem Schwenkpunkt der Betätigungseinrichtung miteinander verbunden sind und so angeordnet sind, daß, wenn die Betätigungseinrichtung (46,48) die erste Kontaktfläche berührt, der Betätiger (18) in eine erste Richtung schwenkt und den Schalter (12) betätigt, und daß, wenn die Betätigungseinrichtung (46,48) die zweite Kontaktfläche kontaktiert, der Betätiger (18) in eine zweite Richtung entgegengesetzt zur ersten Richtung schwenkt und den Schalter (12) deaktiviert, und
    daß die Befestigungseinrichtung (34) so ausgelegt ist, daß sie den Schalter (12) so halten kann, daß sich der Schalterbetätiger (18) in einer gegebenen Stellung befindet und die Anschlüsse (50,52) in jeweils vorbestimmten Stellungen an dem jeweiligen Verbindergehäuse (24,26) befestigt sind, so daß während des Zusammenfügens des ersten und zweiten Verbinders (20, 22) die Betätigungseinrichtungen (46,48) über die zweite Kontaktfläche gleitet und die erste Kontaktfläche ergreift, wodurch der Schalter (12) vor dem Ineingrifftreten der Anschlüsse (50,52) aktiviert wird.
  2. Verbinderanordnung nach Anspruch 1, bei welcher das erste Verbindergehäuse (24) eine einteilige und einheitlich gegossene Struktur umfaßt.
  3. Verbinderanordnung nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, bei welcher das zweite Verbindergehäuse (22), welches die Betätigungseinrichtungen (46,48) umfaßt, eine einteilige und einheitlich gegossene Struktur umfaßt.
  4. Verbinderanordnung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, bei welcher der erste und zweite Verbinder (20,22) Stecker- und Buchsenverbinder umfaßt.
  5. Verbinderanordnung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, bei welcher die Anschlüsse (50,52) des ersten und zweiten Verbinders Stecker- (50) und Buchsen- (52) Anschlüsse umfaßt.
  6. Verbinderanordnung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 5, bei welcher die Befestigungseinrichtung (34) so ausgelegt ist, daß sie den Schalter (12) so hält, daß sich der Schalterbetätiger (18) in einer vorbestimmten Stellung befindet und die Anschlüsse (50,52) jeweils in vorbestimmten Stellungen an dem jeweiligen Verbindergehäuse (24,26) angebracht sind, so daß die Betätigungseinrichtung (46,48) den Schalterbetätiger (18) ergreift und betätigt, bevor die Anschlüsse miteinander verbunden sind.
  7. Verbinderanordnung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6, bei welcher die Betätigungseinrichtung (46,48) des zweiten Verbinders über die erste Schalterkontaktfläche gleiten kann und mit dieser in Berührung bleibt, bis die Anschlüsse (50,52) während des Trennens des ersten und zweiten Verbinders (20,22) voneinander getrennt sind und ferner so ausgelegt ist, daß die zweite Schalterkontaktfläche nach dem Trennen der Anschlüsse (50,52) kontaktieren wird, um den Betätiger (18) zum Deaktivieren des Schalters (12) zu schwenken.
EP95107968A 1994-06-02 1995-05-26 Elektrische Verbinderanordnung mit einen Schalter Expired - Lifetime EP0687039B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US252724 1994-06-02
US08/252,724 US5513999A (en) 1994-06-02 1994-06-02 Electrical connector assembly with a switch

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0687039A2 EP0687039A2 (de) 1995-12-13
EP0687039A3 EP0687039A3 (de) 1996-01-10
EP0687039B1 true EP0687039B1 (de) 1998-09-09

Family

ID=22957263

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95107968A Expired - Lifetime EP0687039B1 (de) 1994-06-02 1995-05-26 Elektrische Verbinderanordnung mit einen Schalter

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US5513999A (de)
EP (1) EP0687039B1 (de)
JP (1) JP2860452B2 (de)
KR (1) KR100216000B1 (de)
TW (1) TW277170B (de)

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JP5661349B2 (ja) * 2010-06-29 2015-01-28 キヤノン株式会社 画像形成装置
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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0687039A3 (de) 1996-01-10
US5513999A (en) 1996-05-07
JP2860452B2 (ja) 1999-02-24
JPH07335330A (ja) 1995-12-22
KR100216000B1 (ko) 1999-08-16
KR970004164A (ko) 1997-01-29
EP0687039A2 (de) 1995-12-13
TW277170B (de) 1996-06-01

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